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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
  
Location: White Mountains of AZ | What got you into the sport of running barrels? How did you figure out that you loved it and wanted to run fast around 3 metal cans? |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 617
Location: London Ontario | I started out showing western and English performance at club and open shows, I always wanted to try it after seeing it at a rodeo when I was younger. Being with a show barn at the time there were a limited about of horses to run. When I was finally old enough they let me and I was hooked. I will be honest, I really wasn't all that tough up until highschool(horse power was seriously lacking lol). Now I am horseless again and HATING it but trying to work my booty off a few years to have a house, truck, trailer etc THEN I will spend the money to buy a decent futurity colt! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | I found it got addicting real fast!! And I hope you find that rig and futurity colt!!! |
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 Expert
Posts: 5290
| My Mom is a 6X NFR qualifier so I was raised around it. Rodeo to rodeo when I wasnt in school and riding barrel horses all the time. But I was fortunate when I was a kid to get to run her finished horses at Junior rodeos so it made it really fast and really fun. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1028
| My mom ran barrels, so as soon as I could walk, she had me walking my stick horse around the pattern of coffee cans in our backyard, until I was big enough to ride on my own. I had a couple of horses when I was younger that I mostly just pleasure rode with my mom when she was exercising her barrel horse, but when I was about 11, I had the opportunity to take a spin on my aunt's old barrel horse (slightly arthritic but plenty fast enough for me!). I was hooked from the first run. I ran that horse for a couple of years until he started to slow down, then my parents bought a blown up rope horse that I patterned myself. After a couple of frustrating years (mostly rider error, I'm sure), he started winning every thing. There was a point in time that if we unloaded him at a local rodeo, people wouldn't enter their kids in the juniors with me. That horse took me through junior rodeos, high school and my first 2 years of college. When I sold him, I was able to by my current horse (as a prospect then) as well as a couple of mares to start raising my next generation of barrel horses.  |
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  Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | Honestly it was watching the NFR as a kid back when they had Heston commercials and belt buckles. I never wavered after seeing those. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | FLITASTIC - 2015-02-04 11:54 AM
My Mom is a 6X NFR qualifier so I was raised around it. Rodeo to rodeo when I wasnt in school and riding barrel horses all the time. But I was fortunate when I was a kid to get to run her finished horses at Junior rodeos so it made it really fast and really fun.
Who's your mom? And I love hearing about how rodeo is in "their blood" Probably some of my favorite stories! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | bowersk - 2015-02-04 12:00 PM
My mom ran barrels, so as soon as I could walk, she had me walking my stick horse around the pattern of coffee cans in our backyard, until I was big enough to ride on my own. I had a couple of horses when I was younger that I mostly just pleasure rode with my mom when she was exercising her barrel horse, but when I was about 11, I had the opportunity to take a spin on my aunt's old barrel horse (slightly arthritic but plenty fast enough for me!). I was hooked from the first run. I ran that horse for a couple of years until he started to slow down, then my parents bought a blown up rope horse that I patterned myself. After a couple of frustrating years (mostly rider error, I'm sure), he started winning every thing. There was a point in time that if we unloaded him at a local rodeo, people wouldn't enter their kids in the juniors with me. That horse took me through junior rodeos, high school and my first 2 years of college. When I sold him, I was able to by my current horse (as a prospect then) as well as a couple of mares to start raising my next generation of barrel horses.
That's crazy! Pulling their kids out because they know they wont win...what is that teaching them!! HA |
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 Party Girl
Posts: 12293
Location: Buffalo, Wyoming | We had race horses for many years. My grandpa was really good friends with a guy who also had race horses and his whole family rodeod. Fast forward about 15-20 years my sister and I became really good friends with his grand-daughters. The middle of them was a 2 time National High School Rodeo All-Around Champ and she got my sister hooked. Grandpa traded a colt to another good friend that also had race horses and rodeod for his daughters old High School horse. This dude was automatic. My first Jr rodeo I only ran poles and think I had my eyes closed the whole time and Old Tink took care of me. I was hooked after that. |
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 Dancing in my Mind
Posts: 3062
Location: Eastern OH but my heart is in WV | FLITASTIC - 2015-02-04 1:54 PM
My Mom is a 6X NFR qualifier so I was raised around it. Rodeo to rodeo when I wasnt in school and riding barrel horses all the time. But I was fortunate when I was a kid to get to run her finished horses at Junior rodeos so it made it really fast and really fun.
WOW!!! You are one very lucky girl  May I ask who your mom is? |
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 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | I started riding low level dressage and hunter jumpers. My parents friends had horses and I went riding with her and her horse that I was riding took off. That was my first time on a horse outside of an arena (I had been riding for 5-6 years at this point) and I got a big ole need for speed! I knew I couldn't handle the bumping and running with a group of horses on a race track so I learned as much as I could about barrels! Needless to say my instructor was extremely disappointed! |
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Dancing in my Mind
Posts: 3062
Location: Eastern OH but my heart is in WV | I was raised around horses. There are pictures of me at 2 mo. sitting (well being held) on the back of an orney, red pony. After my aunt and uncle moved on, my mom inherited the horses full time. I was around 8 when I went to my first local show and never looked back. I was so blessed to have an awesome little Appy that was a blast to ride and I always just loved barrels. Growing up, we were made to do western, showmanship and english also to help improve our skills but the love was always speed events. I like that it is just you and horse. No one else in the arena, no one to blame but yourself... |
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 Veteran
Posts: 232
Location: Winging It in KY | Fairweather - 2015-02-04 3:08 PM Honestly it was watching the NFR as a kid back when they had Heston commercials and belt buckles. I never wavered after seeing those.
OMG! I remember those commercials. That's been several years ago. |
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Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | cuckleburr - 2015-02-04 2:40 PM Fairweather - 2015-02-04 3:08 PM Honestly it was watching the NFR as a kid back when they had Heston commercials and belt buckles. I never wavered after seeing those. OMG! I remember those commercials. That's been several years ago.
Ssssssshhhhhh!!! Nobody's supposed to know that was a long time ago, lol!!
Obviously, the NFR and those commercials had an impact! |
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 The BHW Book Worm
Posts: 1768
| I rode 3 and 5 gated saddlebreds for years then when many training practices were out lawed and saddle bred farms went under about the same time i was stuck on the side lines. That winter the #4 girl in the world was renting out the giant indoor along with her mom. They would bring in 8 barrel horses and i would just watch them for hours training. that winter from then on out i have been hooked and with success!! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1162
Location: White Mountains of AZ | I love stories :) |
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Veteran
Posts: 232
Location: Winging It in KY | Started with dressage and jumping. Mingled a bit with western pleasure, trail, hunt seat and other all around events. Met someone who ran all the speed events. He introduced me to one of his exceptionally broke horses and it was all over with. I was hooked. I loved the poles, always have. Back in the day when you went to a show you ran several events: barrels, poles, speed (arena race), flags, keyhole and several others. Kept my love for speed horses but got rid of the guy. LOL! |
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 Chasin my Dream
Posts: 13651
Location: Alberta | I was raised with horses (4-H, breed shows) and my mom was a riding instructor in the area. Apparently I wanted to barrel race since I was young since one of my "show & tell" days was how I barrel raced (far from anything big more like fun shows or goofing around with friends) Back then rodeos were the only other option and my mom had no desire to haul me around. I had a Marlene McRae VHS Id watch constantly, and anytime we went to the Canadian Finals Rodeo with youth groups I knew I'd be there some day. When I got to college I carried a NFR picture of Kelly Yates & Firewater Fiesta everywhere! I got a chance to barrel race at my first rodeo in 2005 on a borrowed horse AND I survivied but I know it wasn't pretty LOL. That same year I finally had money to buy myself a horse to maybe try to barrel race with. She was an unbroke 3 year old I got for $800. Yep unbroke, why, because I couldn't afford a finished horse and I was stubborn enough to think I'd train my own and start competing! 10 years later WOW have I learned so much and keep learning, I still have goals I need to reach but know I'm closer to them then I was 10 years ago! My success this year is the fact I've raised and trained my current prospect and JUST to get to enter him is beyond surreal and I feel very blessed!!
Edited by dream_chaser 2015-02-04 3:37 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1094
Location: Idahome | I grew up around rodeo, ranching and horses. I have always run barrels but never really enjoyed it much until I went to college. I would have rather roped than run barrels. I took on of my dads old ranch horses and started messing with him in college and he turned me into a lover of barrel racing. Hubby keeps trying to get me to rope more, but I have zero work ethic when it comes to roping any more. I would much rather dink around with the barrels. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| We are not a rodeo family. My youngest always wanted a horse. For her 8th or 9th birthday we got her lessons- 1 year later we owned 3 horses for our 3 girls, eventually working our way up to 6. We hauled our 3 girls for years. The oldest did not want to take her horse to college, the second took hers but horse and trailer came back home when college life was more fun then riding. #3 did not want to take her horses her first year. I was sitting in the stands senior year of daughter #3 and it dawned on me what was I going to do once she left for school. Every weekend had been spent hauling them, my husband had started shooting sporting clays, I had nothing. We had these nice horses sitting in our pasture so I decided I would start barrel racing. Ha, I was scared to death of falling off, stomach would burn as I entered the alley even though I was barely loping but I stuck with it because of great friends who were so encouraging and I loved our horses. It took me a lot longer then most to get where I would let them run a little but I was in no hurry. I finally feel like I am starting to "get it" and having a blast. Here is a run from this past weekend- big moment was when I let go of the horn and went 2 handed between the barrels. DD can no longer tell me I am going to break the horn :)Flashy Disco 1/31
Edited by rodeomom3 2015-02-05 12:37 PM
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